I have seen a lot of post on FaceBook since January 1st about
churches fasting and praying for a fresh move of God, and for an
outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Some might call it revival
In
January 2011, the church that I was then on Staff at as Children's
Pastor concluded a 28 week revival. Going through that experience, I
probably have a little different view on revival than most of the church
world.
Let me start out by saying a few things so no one misunderstands me.
1.
I do believe in fasting to get closer to God, however fasting does not
change God it changes us. If all we do is go without food for a period
of time without spending that time seeking after God then all we have
accomplished is self control and discipline, which is not really a bad
thing unless your purpose was to hear from God. God does call people to a
fast sometimes and I am wholeheartedly behind it. Some people choose to
fast to hear from God or get closer to Him and I am wholeheartedly
behind that also. A lot of fasting that is going on now seems to be a
fad that everyone does at the beginning of each year. A corporate thing
that local churches do because that's what we do in January of each
year. I also see a lot of people posting how much they miss what they
are fasting and are counting down the time until they can indulge in
those things again. Then they usually post a picture of their binge when
they are done with their fast.
A minister that I highly
respect once said that he would rather live a fasted lifestyle than to
go on and off of fast. That seems to be where I stand on the subject. We
should not allow things that stand in the way of us and God in our
lives all year instead of going without it for a month then going right
back to it the rest of the year.
2. I am not against
people being hungry for more of God, seeking after him, and wanting to
see a fresh move of the Holy Spirit. What I wonder about are churches
and ministers that have been praying and seeking God for revival and a
fresh move for years and never see it. I would like to ask some of them,
" How is that working for you?"
3. I do believe that some
revivals and moves of God are sovereign. Meaning that God just poured
out a blessing by his own will and it was going to happen no matter
what. However, most of the time we have to cooperate with God to see
things happen. If you have been praying for revival for years and have
not seen it, maybe you should rethink your whole approach. God is
willing! Are we? About half way through the 28 week revival people
started complaining about being in church so much it was a huge change
in their lifestyle. However, some of the same people that were
complaining were the ones praying for revival. Are we willing to do what
it takes to experience a revival and then are we willing to do what it
takes to keep revival? Or, will it end when the services end and
everything goes back to the way it was. You see some people that went
through that 28 week revival are now serving God in a radical way and
continuing to live the revival lifestyle. Some of the people that sat
through all 28 weeks of revival services post things on their FaceBook
page like. I'm depressed, I'm board, I'm stressed out!. What's the
difference in these 2 types of people?
There comes a time
when we must put legs to our prayers and obey what God has told us to do
or we will never see the move that we desire to see. As I said I
probably have a little different view on Revival than most. You see to
experience revival it takes a change of lifestyle. Are we willing to do
what it takes to see it? It's God's will that we experience him every
day. It's God's will that we walk in a fresh anointing every day that
overflows into the world around us and touches lives. But until we take
that anointing to the people that need it and release it into their
lives, we will never see that move that we are praying for. It's God's
will for us to walk in the spirit, so we do not fulfill the lust of the
flesh. However, if we continue to feed our flesh on all that the world
has to offer we might never experience walking in the spirit. Until we
are willing to step out of our comfort zone and be the hands and feet of
God to the world around us we will never experience the things that we
have been praying for for the last 20 years.
If we always
do what we have always done, We will always have, what we have always
had. To expect anything different is Ludicrous.
Revival is
not a series of meetings where everyone gets refreshed and touched by
God. It might include it, but that not what it is. I think
Charles Finney said it best when he said, "A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God."
My friend
we
need to quit praying that God would send revival! He sent you to your
city. Become the revival that you have been praying for!
Can you imagine the revival we would see in our communities, if
we would just step out of our churches and obey the great commission
and Go into all the world and make disciples? What if we would start to
lay hands on sick people and pray for them when they ask us to pray for
them, instead of just saying " I will pray for you" and then forgetting
all about it and never really praying for them.
One
night during worship toward the end of the revival the following list
came to me and I wrote it down in my notes on my phone.
You know you have experienced revival when…
1. When you start laying aside all weights & sin that gets in between you and God.
2. When you have a renewed love & passion for the things if God.
3. When you begin to serve God with not just your mouth but our actions.
4. When you fervently serve God not just at church but every day of the week everywhere you go.
5. When you get so full of God that his presence begins to overflow in your life and begins to touch those around you.
6. When nothing else satisfies you, but more of God.
7. When you become so desperate for God that you do whatever it takes to get Him.
8. When your desires become God’s desires.
9. When your love for God becomes so strong that you just can't help but tell others.
10. When the fire of God in your life becomes so big that people start to come from all around to watch you burn.
11.
When you submit yourself to God so much, that the change in your life
becomes so evident that people can't help but notice and start to ask
you what is different.
12. When the desire to be in God’s
presence is so strong that you don't ask if you should go to church,
but nothing can keep you from going to church.
13. When your love for God is so strong that you would never dishonor him by allowing sin in your life
14. When you love God so much you can't help but worship him not just at church but every day through your lifestyle.
16.
When you love God so much that you don't have to be manipulated to
give. You can’t help but to give because you love Him and his works so
much.
17. When you rediscover your first love. The feeling & passion you had when you were first born again.
18. When you don't need to be led into worship, you just enter in.
19. When it ceases to be about us and it becomes about him.
20. Instead of constantly seeking a blessing from God you become a blessing from God.
Actually
this list is the lifestyle that a christian ought to be living in the
first place, but because we become distracted from the things of God
and become spiritually dead we need to be revived.
The
reason we need a series of meetings is that we are so dead we need to be
jump started. After we have been jump started, we should be able to
keep the charge.
Revival is a lifestyle.
Someone
once said " I would rather live a fasted lifestyle than go on and off of
periods of fasting." I personally would rather live a revival lifestyle
than attend a series of meetings.
Below are several Quotes on Revival that have greatly impacted my Life....
“There are two great reasons we don’t have revival.
1. We’re content to live without it.
2. It’s too costly. We don’t want God to disrupt our status quo.
The
Christian life can only be lived one way, and that’s God’s way. And
God’s way is that I leave all and follow Him". ~ Leonard Ravenhill
When is a revival needed? When carelessness and unconcern keep the people asleep. - Billy Sunday
Have
you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late -
and how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we
have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will
not work.” - A.W. Tozer
A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God. - Charles Finney
We
need to quit praying that God would send revival! He sent you to your
city. Become the revival that you have been praying for!
The
church that becomes focused upon maintaining itself instead of the
gospel becomes a dead branch of the living vine... Thomas C. Oden
I'm sick and tired of only reading about church history; let's make some by the grace of God! - LEONARD RAVENHILL
Faith
and works should travel side by side, step answering to step, like the
legs of men walking. First faith, and then works; and then faith again,
and then works again--until they can scarcely distinguish which is the
one and which is the other. - General William Booth
The
true follower of Christ will not ask, "If I embrace this truth, what
will it cost me?" Rather he will say, "This is truth. God help me to
walk in it, let come what may!" ~ A. W. Tozer
"Let's quit fiddling with religion and do something to bring the world to Christ." ~ Billy Sunday
Have
you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late -
and how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we
have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will
not work.” - A.W. Tozer
Revival is when God gets so sick and tired of being misrepresented that He shows Himself. - Leonard Ravenhill
A
revival does two things. First, it returns the Church from her
backsliding and second, it causes the conversion of men and women; and
it always includes the conviction of sin on the part of the Church. What
a spell the devil seems to cast over the Church today! - Billy Sunday
If you don't see a revival starting around you; let it begin in your own heart, then let it overflow to others...
You
never have to advertise a fire. Everyone comes running when there's a
fire. Likewise, if your church is on fire, you will not have to
advertise it. The community will already know it. - Leonard Ravenhill
By Jerry Moyer
The Jubilee Gang
www.jubileegang.com
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